Turkey: Bektashi oppose Rama’s plan for an independent Muslim state in Albania

The reaction of representatives of the Bektashi (or Bektashi) sect in Turkey is being provoked by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s plan to establish within his country’s territory a sovereign Muslim Bektashi Muslim state on the model of the Vatican.

According to the New York Times, the new state will be called the “sovereign state of the order (sect) of the Becctacees. It will have a separate government, passports and borders. It will encompass 270 acres on the eastern side of Tirana, making it, according to the American newspaper, the smallest state in the world. It will be characterised by laxity in the use of alcohol by men and freedom of dress by women. The head of this tiny state is destined to be the spiritual leader of Albania’s Bektasids, Edmond Brahimai, known in his community as Baba Modi.

Representatives of Alevi-Bektashi organizations from Turkey, in statements published in the Azeri-owned Turkish network Haber Global, say that Beltasism and “religious state” are incompatible concepts.

Specifically, the president of the Alevi Federation of Turkey, Zeinel Abidin Koch, said: “As Alevis living in Turkey, we maintain our position in favor of secularism. Besiktasism is a belief system that originated in Turkey. However, there are about 115,000 Bektasis living in Albania as well. And this represents 5% of the population of Albania. I don’t understand exactly why there is a need for such a state. Does this include the Turkish Betaktism or is it an Albanian affair? We in no way approve of a state based on a faith.”

But former president of the Alevi Bektassis Federation and writer Ali Bakiz also believes that the Bektassis’ faith cannot create a religious state. “The Ottoman Empire spread the way of the Alevi Bektashis to the Balkans, reaching as far as Hungary. And Albania is the most important country of them all. The philosophy of the Alevi Bektassis considers the 72 nations as one, advises that everyone should be the master of his own actions, love urges and words, and stands on the side of the oppressed. A religious state is not a good thing. Every state has power, whereas in the Alevi Bektassis’ faith there is freedom,” Ali Bakiz said.

For his part, the current president of the Alevi Betasites Federation in Turkey, Hussein Giuzeljul, reportedly says that while he generally finds the various steps taken by states in terms of recognizing the Alevi Betasites’ faith around the world positive, he too supports the view that the Betasites’ faith and the religious state cannot go hand in hand. “We do not consider a state based on religion to be right. It cannot exist where there is tolerance, peace and love,” Gizelgul said.

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